Baltimore
by Angellpoint
Summary: Musings connected to the episode Baltimore.
1. Married

"_I plan to be safely married by then, Danny"_

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><p><em><strong>2001<strong>_

He took a large gulp of beer, emptying the bottle he warily glanced at it – what was that, bottle number 6? 7?

He didn't care, he couldn't care anymore.

Because being dumped hurt, it hurt like hell and he finally understood why all those people wrote those ridiculous songs about it – he wanted to scream it out.

But he didn't.

No, because that's not how a Dinozzo does it they bottle it all up – this time literally with bottles he thinks.

He'd been so happy when she had said yes, so happy he could barely contain it – he had been a bit surprised when it took his partner awhile to figure out.

But then again he guessed Danny always was a bit of a slow learner, Danny…

Lately it felt like shit was hitting the fan a lot, first he finally connected the dots – Goddammit he was so stupid – that Danny was a dirty cop.

Then Gibbs – the devious bastard – dragged his ass to NCIS and subtlety hinted at him to get a job, perhaps Gibbs had been the only good thing in the past few months.

Gibbs had known about Wendy, how he didn't know but he guessed that being the team leader of NCIS' 'top team' you had to have some sort of investigative skills.

He thoughtlessly opened another bottle and took another gulp, Wendy had left him.

Truthfully he had known it was too good to be true, Wendy had asked him out and they had hit it off from the start partly because of their past but truth to be told Wendy just was a great woman.

But apparently she had decided that it was wrong to date someone she used to learn things in high school, he didn't get it he was only seven years younger than her.

He threw another bottle away, it loudly crashed against the wall- he knew he shouldn't drink with his concussion and Gibbs had warned him to not do so but he couldn't help it…

He needed a pain relief even if it would be tenfold worse in the morning, he right now needed it – needed to stop his bleeding heart.

He finally felt some sort of regret for all the girls he had dumped, for all he knew he had broken their hearts just like his was broken now.

Gibbs probably had thought he had a bad day – if the constantly raised eyebrow was something to go on – and that had been the reason he had been so reckless today.

Normally he didn't drink this much and he really didn't drink to drown his sorrows, that was something he left to his father, but he was willing to become his father for one night.

He then heard someone unlock his front door, he vaguely thought about reaching for his gun but he figured that he couldn't care less if someone tried to murder him tonight – he might just welcome it.

He heard steady, hasty footsteps walk his way and then Gibbs was in front of him – looking worried.

Worried? He had never seen his boss look worried, never. Not when Pacci did something stupid and nearly got himself shot, no Gibbs only expressed the emotion anger then.

He tried to put together a few words to ask what the hell his boss was doing here when he found that he couldn't, Gibbs gently removed the unopened bottle of beer from his hand and swept aside the crunched glass.

He knew his eyes were red from the angry tears that had spilled over his cheeks and that his knuckles were raw from hitting the wall – the hole in the wall was a dead giveaway – but he couldn't care.

Gibbs pried his arm under his shoulders and hoisted him up, he leaned heavily against the elder men and still managed to give Gibbs his 'What the hell' glare.

Gibbs didn't seemed bothered by it, Gibbs shifted a bit then dragged him to his bedroom – several kinky comments fleeted through his head but he was too tired to say anything – then dumped him on the bed.

"G'bbs?" he slurred because right now he really didn't get his new boss, the man was all grumpy and harsh in the office and sometimes – really almost never – showed any other emotion but he was pretty sure he had never encountered this Gibbs before.

The man undressed him – he was still too shell-shocked to object – then he had, somewhere, gotten his oversized hoodie and trainings pants and in a flash he was wearing clothes again.

He tried to grasp the fact that apparently Gibbs cared enough to come check on him, he felt the older man's hand pop up his chin – forcing him to look at Gibbs.

"Get some sleep, I'll wake you in a couple hours" then Gibbs' hand wandered trhough his hair in a paternal gesture and gently forced him down, he left the room and switched off the lights.

_Guess I have to dress better now _Tony thought fruitlessly before he let the darkness swallow him.

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><p><strong>AN after watching this fantastic episode a lot of thoughts kept floating around my head so I decided to do a little story about it.**

**More to come.**


	2. Unexpected meeting

"_Could you image having to arrest Gibbs?"_

"_Huh, I would rather arrest my father… and I still might have to one day for that matter."_

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><p><strong>2011<strong>

"Abby?" Mcgee and Ziva were standing behind the normally enthusiastic Goth, today she was subdued – even her music wasn't blaring through the whole floor.

Abby turned around and gave them a weird glance, then typed something in her computer before her raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Yeeees?" Abby stretched the word, grinning devious.

"We were wondering how Gibbs first met Tony" Ziva firmly stated, her arms folded in front of her – Abby's grin only widened.

Abby ignored them and stalked to the other side of the lab, the doors making the switching noise they always made, Ziva and Mcgee followed.

Abby sat down in her chair and switched off the lights then lit up a candle, making her face look creepy – Mcgee raised his eyebrow at her.

"Really, Abby?" Abby shrugged then resumed her attention to Ziva.

"So what do you know?" Abby seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, she then ruffled through some old files and grabbed what looked like an old picture and smiled at it.

"Nearly nothing, Tony just told me that he and Gibbs had an uhm… unexpected meeting" Ziva shrugged helplessly, clearly not understanding what Tony meant by that statement – Abby however did.

She showed them a picture, it made both Ziva and Mcgee smile – the picture showed a young Tony laughing his ass off next to him a smug Gibbs with his hand on Tony's shoulder.

When they looked closer they saw a dark stark bruise on Tony's cheek, Tony's attire was casual which deserved another good look because it made their friend look so much younger – Gibbs also did look much younger but somehow it was Tony that shocked them.

"That was ten minutes after Tony found out that Gibbs had tricked him into coming to work for NCIS" Abby explained to them, seeing their huge grins and confused faces.

"Now Abby explain" Mcgee said as he nervously rubbed his hands together, and glanced at Ziva to make sure he wasn't being hasty or anything similar.

Abby let out a huff but then finally started talking, her hands already moving in fast motions.

"… Then his partner removed the cuffs" she finished with a satisfied grin when she saw the shocked faces of her friends.

They both let out incredulous laughs when Abby finished, and glanced at the picture again.

"So, Tony chased after Gibbs – yelling and all - thinking he was some sort of drug dealer then he tackled Gibbs got sucker punched _and_ shoved his gun in Gibbs' face?" Mcgee gleefully asked, Abby solemnly nodded then chuckled.

"Yeah, I didn't think I ever laughed so hard as when Gibbs finally told me"


	3. Mighty mouse

"_Waow, uh a stapler? What is that?"_

"_Mighty mouse"_

"_Mighty mouse?"_

"_Bought it in a garage sale, all I could afford on my salary"_

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><p><strong>2011<strong>

He eased himself back behind his desk, he never had thought that Major Raimey would've been capable of murder.

Cold blooded murder nonetheless.

The guy had treated him with respect, had given him a warm welcome into the Baltimore Police Department and had never as far as he could remember done something to give him a reason to distrust him yet he had murdered his old partner in cold blood when Danny came seeking for redemption.

Danny Price the dirty cop, yet his old partner.

He knew it had been wrong to say nothing, to just let a dirty cop wander around – it could've been very dangerous yet he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it.

To rat his partner out.

Because there was this sort of trust between partners that went deeper than he had experienced with anybody else – the relationship between partners was something to cherish.

He picked up the mighty mouse stapler that Frank Raimey had given to him then, it held so many memories – happy and now dark memories.

He remembered the support Raimey had given him, the good natured humor, when he had won the pool office for the second year in a row.

How Raimey had murdered Danny.

If you added all things up he was a pretty bad detective, he missed the fact that his major and his partner were both dirty although spotting it by his major would have been considerably harder but still…

He couldn't exactly put it behind him easily, he had never thought that his past would haunt him – although Gibbs had already proved that even the deepest secret could get out easily.

He was pretty sure Mcgee and Ziva both were suffering from a whiplash by now, having spent half the case wondering what the heck was going on and the other half of the case giving him and Gibbs weird glances.

He rolled the mighty mouse stapler in his hand, he had the huge urge to throw it against the nearest wall and see it break but he didn't – partly because he didn't want to scare the cleaning crew who probably were already wondering what the hell he was doing here and partly because he didn't want to feel… out of control.

He still couldn't quite grasp the fact that his former boss had murdered his former partner, he closed his eyes for awhile and rubbed his temples trying to coach away the headache he sure as hell was developing.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, a big callous hand squeezed his shoulder – he didn't even need to look up to know it was Gibbs.

It always was Gibbs.


	4. Mushoo

"_You ate all my mushoo"_

"_I didn't see your name on it"_

_- points at the throwaway bin which has his name on it –_

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><p><strong>2011<strong>

The coffin is black - boring, respectful black.

It's a small funeral, very respectful considering that Danny was a dirty cop but then again he has no reason to believe that anyone else in the BPD knew about Danny being dirty.

Gibbs hadn't opened his mouth back then and he hadn't either, they had let Danny loose.

He wondered if things would've been different if he had stayed with Danny had helped him through or if he had ratted him out, perhaps Danny wouldn't have died alone in his apartment.

Perhaps Danny wouldn't have had a drinking problem, he swallowed hardly – the lump in his throat was growing.

He really hated funerals.

He blinked several times with his eyes to prevent any tears, he could cry later – in the privacy that was called his home.

He winced when he heard the gunshots, he wondered if his funeral would be like this – dull, sad, a few people and no family.

Instantly he knew it wouldn't, he and his father never would have a great relationship too much had happened in the past but they could get along now, also they called each other so now and then.

It was a much needed improvement.

Also his team would be there, he was sure of that.

He stopped his train of thought right there because he really didn't want to image how his team would react to him being dead, he had experienced firsthand how dangerous Gibbs could be when someone hurt the people he loves – and god it was like seeing terminator come to action.

But somehow he couldn't image his mentor doing that for him, he didn't know why he just couldn't.

He winced again when some detectives started talking, giving a speech about how great Danny was and that he and Danny had been the best team Baltimore PD had ever seen.

If only they knew.

He blinked again trying to keep his watery eyes from spilling, even the weather was sad today.

Danny had been a great partner, a real good one – they had bonded in a way he hadn't with his first two partners in Peoria and Philly.

Luckily he had some real great partners now.

Gibbs, his grumpy old boss who acted like he didn't care but actually cared a lot, who would go all Rambo on a suspect if they itched him wrong, who couldn't live a single day without his caffeine, who made boats in his basement, who acted like a father figure towards him.

Ziva, who threatened him on a daily basis, who seduced him, who he had saved from Saleem Ulman aka crazed terrorist, who could hold her own, who knew every way to kill a man and who cared about his self being.

Tim, who was a nerd, got easily annoyed with him, hacked everything from the CIA to the FBI, who tried to be subtle about asking him things but never got across.

Abby, who always brightened his day, who loved Gothic and all sorts of weird stuff, and had a crazy sense of humor.

Then Ducky, who with his long stories seemed to bore people to death but all the same cared a lot about him.

Tony stared at the coffin being lowered into the ground, it was time to let Danny go.

He clenched his fists together in a familiar gesture, one only he and Danny knew, and prayed him the best.

Goodbye Danny.


	5. Tube socks

"_I have a degree in physical education, I played varsity basketball at Ohio State! This isn't going to end well for you! Your money laundering day's ar-_

_- Gets hit by a car –_

_Are over!"_

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><p><strong>2001<strong>

Navy Lieutenant Ian Floyd sat waiting in one of NCIS' finest interrogation rooms, the man kept a stoic face and had been sitting there was at least three hours now but Gibbs didn't care.

Thanks to Baltimore PD he already had all the evidence and their suspect hadn't said a word, Gibbs already knew that this was their murderer yet it was protocol to question him himself.

He sighed, he could've let Pacci handle it only the agent had been 'suffering' from a nasty stomachache so now he had to go in and question the suspect.

He sighed deeply grabbed the file and strolled the interrogation room in, Floyd's attention was immediately directed towards him.

The DEA already had confirmed that they had enough evidence to prosecute Floyd but Gibbs' gut was still twisting a bit, he was missing something.

"So, you gonna talk my ass off too?" he raised his eyebrow, what the hell was this guy talking about – he decided to wait, most people tended to talk themselves when something was bothering them and it was fun to see them squirm.

However Floyd didn't squirm he just seemed to get more annoyed, Floyd let out annoyed huff then started talking.

"That guy, Dinozzo he started chasing me for at least two blocks and he kept on ranting – man that guy didn't shut up!" he held his face stoic but he actually was quite amused, Dinozzo ranted at suspects while chasing them? Interesting.

"He was like 'You're not getting away' and all of that BS, annoying kid he only shut up when that car hit him – thought I finally lost him then I hear him behind be yelling at me again." Floyd let out another annoyed huff "Freak" he muttered as an afterthought.

He raised his eyebrow, Dinozzo had to have some condition to be able to run top speed _and_ rant at the suspect – funny, he had done the same when he arrested him.

Dinozzo and his tube socks.

"Really?" he half-smiled, clearly too amused to give a shit about appearing angry – not that the guy looked like someone who's easily intimidated.

"Kept yelling about his 'physical degree' and his tube socks" Floyd snorted, he smiled apparently Dinozzo liked bragging about his socks – everyone had their weird traits…

He shook his head, remembering why he was here in the first place "So, let's talk about your…"


	6. Brash

"_Yeah, I know"_

"_You knew? Then what the hell were you doing running around riskin-"_

_- Pause -_

"_Reeeaaaly?"_

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><p><strong>2001<strong>

He had seen the raised eyebrows and the weird glance Pacci gave him when he had requested – demanded – to see Dinozzo's files.

Pacci of course had guessed what was on his mind – he better – and had gotten him the files ASAP.

He was now looking through them, it didn't say a lot about the brash detective that had taken him down with some good force and some good natured bite.

He couldn't help but assess the young detective, a good muscular built and a fierce glare.

Dinozzo was quick witted, he had caught on with him in mere seconds something his partner had been unable to do and to be honest Pacci hadn't been able to do either.

He quickly glanced through the file again, born and raised in Long Island, his mother had died young – something he had experienced himself too – then was shipped off to boarding school to be exact Rhode Island Military Academy.

He paused there, who the hell sent their kid to military school at that age? He frowned and decided that perhaps Dinozzo just hadn't been a good kid.

He read further, graduated from Ohio state university and broke his leg there was also a note in the file on his accident – at the infirmary there had been a speculation note for what it didn't say – he briefly stopped at the note, a lot of different scenes flashing through his head.

He ignored it and read further, a degree in criminology, a physical degree, a psychological degree, overall Dinozzo seemed like a smart person.

He had both recommendations and reprimands from the departments in Peoria and Philly, that was unusual.

Dinozzo was a smart, young detective but ran his mouth too much – read one comment from one of his former chiefs.

Well he could image that.

The whole time that he had spent time with the kid he had been talking non-stop, nonetheless it wasn't completely useless talk it had made some sense.

He even found himself enjoying it.

The constant movie quotes, the big mouth that literally talked about everything he encountered – it made him wonder how someone could put up with the brash detective.

In the car back to the predict he had assured Dinozzo that he was a undercover cop, he had seen Dinozzo's eyes wander over his body again – they stopped by his haircut – he then had said that he was NCIS and by the looks of it Dinozzo didn't have one clue about what it was so he said 'navy cop' and then the Detective just snorted at him.

He had assumed that the brash Detective would just let it go and check it at the predict but Dinozzo already had pulled out his phone and apparently texted someone, his eyes shifted towards him a few times – still an assessing glare.

Dinozzo was a good cop who didn't jump the gun – or at least he got that feeling and his gut wasn't wrong many times – and although he had a big mouth he could see why he had been promoted Detective.

And if he was right about Dinozzo, the young man probably wouldn't work by Baltimore PD by the end of the case which was pretty soon because he couldn't see Dinozzo working along with his dirty partner any longer.

Dinozzo probably wouldn't report it but he couldn't blame the younger man, it's not a choice easily made.

But if everything went according to plan Dinozzo would probably hear – and see – Danny Price a lot less because traveling between Baltimore and DC was pretty tiring and he needed his agents in top condition.

The elevator dinged he looked up, he saw Dinozzo standing there, arrogant as hell with a smug grin and a leather jacket.

He hoped to god that he wasn't making a big mistake.

".. The glare of that skylight is ridiculous"


End file.
